State to Launch Three-Phase Mumbai Water Metro with Dedicated Shipyard for Passenger Boats

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) Water Metro project will be implemented in three phases to provide efficient, sustainable, and affordable water-based passenger transport.

To support this, a dedicated shipyard will be developed to construct all the necessary passenger boats. Chairing a review meeting on water transport at the Vidhan Bhavan, CM Fadnavis was joined by Nitesh Rane Sanjay Sethi, and Maharashtra Maritime Board Member Secretary & CEO Pradeep P. The meeting discussed the operationalisation of waterways, development of shipyards, modernisation of terminals, and the creation of greenfield shipbuilding clusters at locations such as Nandgaon, Dighi, and Vijaydurg.

CM Fadnavis emphasised that all passenger boats for the Water Metro should be constructed at the state’s own shipyard and directed that quality should not be compromised while developing one of the country’s largest shipyard facilities. He also instructed authorities to identify suitable locations for the shipyard and to prioritize these developments in the first phase, while taking steps in subsequent phases to expand operations.

The Maharashtra Maritime Board has signed a memorandum of understanding in line with the central government’s shipbuilding cluster policy, involving both public and private shipbuilding industries.

The Water Metro project will include 11 new waterways and 24 new terminals covering 215 km, along with modernisation of 21 existing routes and 20 terminals spanning 125 km, resulting in a total waterway network of 340 km across the MMR. By 2031, the project is expected to transport 75 million passengers annually. The investment in marine infrastructure, including civil, maritime, and emergency facilities, will total INR 3,436 crore, while 2,070 electric and hybrid boats will be deployed with private operators contributing INR 3,156 crore.

The project will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, aiming to provide easy, sustainable, and cost-effective water transport for passengers. With a first-phase investment of INR 1,500 crore, the MMR Water Metro is poised to become one of the largest water-based passenger transport systems in the world, simultaneously boosting maritime infrastructure, modern shipbuilding capacity, and regional connectivity.

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